Disclaimer: see chapter 1



Chapter 2 Change

Teela blinked her eyes a few times adjusting them to the intense light of the room. The walls were pure white, and only seemed to make the room brighter. Her vision became less fuzzy, so she looked around. She had bandages wrapped around her head, arms, and just about every other place on her body. The white bandages were stained with little blood; they had changed them several times. She turned her head to the side and saw her teammates lying in hospital beds right next to her in a neat row. Each one was bandaged up with their uniforms still on.

She tried moving her arm with no success. She had neither the strength nor the need to. She sighed and blew some hair away from her face. Amazingly, they were the only things that hadn't been stained red. Teela began to think to herself to pass the time.

"What happened back there?" she said in her mind. Images flowed as freely as water back to her. Each was a clear picture that was well developed. She saw the goddess fighting, slaughtering over and over again. The pictures kept repeating over and over again, like the memory reel in her mind had stuck and started repeating. It was also the same thing happening to her. The images kept flashing by, until one caught her. She carefully rewound her mind just to see that image again. She then strained to focus it. It was the image of that goddess again, when she heard her scream.

Teela remembered the fight of that goddess, as lethal as it was, but what it had said to her. "Human," Teela thought back. "It said it was human. Could it be? What would a human be doing in that position? It sounded so gentle, but that scream. What happened to it? Will I ever see it again? I've got to reach out to the pilot; it might be our only chance. That. . .thing. . .nearly got to Zion. We can't risk that."

She snapped from her thoughts when she heard a groan next to her. Her eyes popped open, and she turned her head. Rioroute was getting up from his bed and scratching his head. He tried sitting up, then clutched his side. Soon after the other pilots awoke.

"What happened?" said a dazed Rioroute.

"We must've been out for at least a day by the looks of these wounds," said Gareas sitting up with no problem.

"I barely remember anything," said Yuu, "it all happened so fast, a blur."

"We're going to see it again," said Erts who had been quiet the whole time. "I just know it."

"What're we going to do next time number one?" asked Rioroute.

"I don't know," Teela answered quietly. "I just don't know."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It had been a week, and the pilots had recovered. Somehow victim hadn't attacked at all, they were quiet, too quiet. The pilots were all well and could now move around, but they were restless. Whether it be from the anxiousness or just the deprival of battle that caused this. One thing was sure; they were all looking forward to the upcoming fight. The pilots all kept to themselves as well. There was no talk except from the greetings in the morning. The quiet seemed to linger in the air, like it liked it there and had permanently moved in. The awkwardness was increasing. The pilots were all itching for a fight.

Finally one morning at breakfast one snapped.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" Gareas yelled slamming his fist onto the breakfast table. He panted with rage while the pilots were still shocked. The force had knocked their plates around so the food was now a jumbled mess.

"I know how you feel, we all do!" Rioroute yelled back. "Look what you did to my food!"

"I know all of you can feel it, but somebody has to say something first!" Gareas yelled back.

"Calm down Eeva-Leena," yelled Rioroute jumping to his feet and confronting Gareas. "We've all been quiet because if one of us said something this is just what would happen!"

"I can't keep it in any longer!" yelled Yuu. His vein had been popping while the two were arguing, and he got right up and pulled both of their shoulders. "Stop it! This is just what Victim wants us to do, get on edge!"

"Well it's working!" yelled Rioroute.

"We must be ready for battle at all times, they've probably been juicing up that goddess," said Gareas.

"We must all calm down," Erts said in his quiet way. "We're all on edge, and that'll make us lose the next battle. I know we're all anxious, but we're also scared. After what that goddess did, we're just scared of what its next move will be. The battle will come, but we must be ready. They probably are juicing up the goddess, but we will be more prepared this time."

The pilots stood dumbfounded at Erts outburst. This was the most he had ever said before in their presence. The arguing men dispersed, and went down three separate ways without looking back at the others. Teela had been sitting the entire time. Her plate lay on the edge of the table with the food untouched. Erts watched as she stood up and walked past him out of the room.

"The time between battles is harder than the time in them," Erts said to her without looking back to face her.

"Especially for eager warriors," answered Teela as she continued off.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Ring, god-damit ring!" Rioroute pleaded to the alarm on the wall. Erts couldn't help but smile at his feeble attempt. He and the other pilots were in a room that had windows on all sides, not including the door. Maybe it was because they wanted to be close so they could see Victim approaching, or maybe they thought the alarm wouldn't alert them in enough time. Erts got up and looked out one of the windows. Space was an endless void that went on forever behind the glass. Erts could only wonder what it held.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"What is the diagnosis doctor?" Teela asked Dr. Revord.

"Can't get any readings," the doctor answered.

The room was dark, and the only light was coming from the computer screen both were staring at. Dr. Revord idly typed while Teela watched from behind him. The glow from the computer made her hair shine in the darkness, like a glow in the dark key-chain almost.

"Is that possible?"

"No."

The silence drifted over until one spoke. "What can you tell me about the design?"

"So much like a goddess, yet not. It is most certainly a very good imitation."

"So it's not original?"

"There were only five originals, this one is a copy."

"Can you tell what pilots it?"

"It could be run by a computer for all I know. The only thing I know about it is how it looks externally. Internally, could be something totally different."

"So you're not sure a human was piloting it?"

"No, do you have any evidence?"

"That scream, her voice, the way she moved. . ."

"It could've all been done by computer, and the voice engineered electronically."

"No, there was life in that voice no matter how cold it was."

"I would never doubt you."

The doctor sighed and laced his fingers while resting his chin on top of them. "But do you think Victim would be so desperate to beat us they would create one of our weapons to use against us?"

"It is a possibility."

The doctor let out a thoughtful hmm. "Still, the original goddess weren't all computer. They needed something organic to give it power, the EX of a candidate. That's why nobody except those special can pilot one. Do you think they would make a replica so accurate to the original that it too would need organic matter?"

Teela remained silent for a moment. "I'm just telling you my suspicions, doctor."

"You have a right to have suspicions and theories, but this subject will be difficult to examine without obtaining it ourselves."

"So you have learned nothing?"

"Only that you should fight with caution; be careful, very careful."

The alarm rang throughout the ship. Teela's and the doctor's conversation was cut short as she walked out the door with the doctor not shifting out of his position. The doctor spun around in the computer chair he was sitting in and faced the computer screen. On it were blueprints of the goddess, labels of its parts, and information on its parts. The doctor looked over each one, scanning for some kind of hidden clue.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"RING DAMN YOU!" Rioroute screamed at the alarm.

"FOR GOD SAKES WILL YOU QUIT IT!" Gareas screamed over him. "That thing is not going to ring just because. . ."

Gareas was cut short when the alarm did ring. Rioroute's eyes sailed up to look at, then back to Gareas who was right in his face. Rioroute grinned cheekily, and then ran off. Gareas blinked a few times before standing up straight and continuing after him. Erts had turned around from the window and had watched the entire thing. He gazed back out the window. He touched the glass softly with one hand with only his fingertips touching. Erts breathed in deeply, and exhaled.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The pilots emerged into the room where they boarded their goddesses to find their repairers strangely silent. The pilots paused as the repairers typed away furiously at their screens without looking up at them. The pilots looked to each other before going their separate ways to their goddesses. Just as Yuu was about to step in his sister hunched her shoulders up like she was hiding her emotional bubble inside of her.

"STOP IT!" she burst out. She ran in front of her brother and blocked the way into the cockpit of the Tellia-Kallisto. "You can't go Omi-chan!" she protested.

Yuu was shocked at his sister's actions, but replied, "Move."

"No, you'll get hurt again," she said turning away to look at the floor. Tears slowly dripped down. "I saw you out there. I don't want it to happen again."

"I am more prepared this time," Yuu stated coldly.

"That's what you think," she said snapping her head up to him. He could see her eyes brimming with tears. "None of us are prepared to counter this enemy! Just because you saw it do something last time doesn't mean that you are prepared to face it. Please don't go!"

Yuu walked over and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "I have to go, Zion is depending on me."

"None of us want you guys to go," Kazuhi replied. Yuu looked up to see all the other repairers had stopped typing. They were all staring down at their keypads hiding their faces with their hair. Yuu turned back to his sister and stroked the side of her face. He brushed her hair away and dried her tears.

"We have to," he replied continuing on to the cockpit of his goddess. Kazuhi rubbed her eyes, but let him go past the layer into the cockpit. She wiped her eyes, and got behind her control panel trying to keep her composure. Gareas turned to Leena expecting her to do the same. As the leader of the repairers, Leena had to be strong. She lifted her head up and began typing furiously. Gareas nodded his head to her before disappearing behind his layer. Only after he had gone through did Leena break down and cry. She leaned her elbow against the control panel and sobbed quietly. Rioroute cast a look at Phil to see she was on the brim of crying. He gave her a pat on the arm, which made her look up at him with surprise.

"Don't worry about me," he said as he stepped into his goddess. Phil smiled, but let a few tears fall.

Tune looked at Erts who didn't look back at her. "I'll come back, I promise you that," he said as he ran into his goddess. Tune remembered the pain of losing Ernest. She promised herself not to lose Erts.

Teela silently observed the acts of her fellow pilots and their repairers. Teela wondered at the acts, how they were so concerned of the lives of their partners. Teela had been a goddess pilot longer than most, and she had seen many of her teammates come and go. Never had she seen the repairers so concerned, especially since they did this everyday and knew of the possible outcomes. She slowly walked into her goddess, and took her part as leader.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The goddesses were all deployed, and stood in attack formation.

"Aqui-Keameia, shield!" Teela ordered.

"Shield deploying," answered Rioroute. "The system's all go with no for- coming errors."

"Luhma-Klein, any sign of them yet?"

"There are 10 type-B, and a few type-As that we shouldn't have to worry about," Erts answered.

Teela looked out to see the swarm of Victim approaching. She hesitated, but then realized that the copy goddess wasn't along the ranks. She frowned slightly, and gripped her hands into fists. "Prepare to initiate the attack."

The pilots charged forward in an attack formation. They destroyed most of the Victim swarmed, and were just finishing off the last ones.

"We're almost done," said Rioroute.

"You know what that means," said Yuu.

"I remember," replied Rioroute.

"Last time we finished Victim off, that other goddess showed up," said Gareas. "I'll get 'em this time."

Erts remained silent, and used the sensors to trace any sign of impending danger. He closed his eyes and let his body go limp as he concentrated. His vision went out to distant space; stars flew by as he looked out. It was then he saw the goddess using his far sight. Erts gasped, and took a step back. All the pilots felt this.

"What is it Luhma Klein?" asked Rioroute.

"It's here," said Erts, and that was all he needed to say.

The pilots steadied themselves, and readied for battle. As the copy approached, the pilots let out confused looks. This time, the goddess had binding around it. The Victims had wrapped their 'tails' around the body. It looked as it they were holding it back, or restraining it. It was once again limp and unmoving. The goddess pilots watched it carefully, unblinking. The Victims led the copy up to the goddess pilots. Their tails then whipped off the body and retracted back to them. They then scurried out of sight.

The pilots readied themselves, as did their repairers. The repairers were trying their best to keep composure, and kept silent and cold looks as they typed at their panels. They had put aside their feelings, and kept their faces by putting their duties first. The pilots were no longer friends, just people they had to work with and protect.

The copy stirred, and lifted up her head. The goddess waited no time, and attacked at that slight provocation. Yuu was the first to attack by charging straight in. Gareas stayed behind waiting for the time for his duty as backup. He gripped his hands preparing his guns. Teela waited in a fighting pose, but her mind wandered. She kept thinking about the last fight that only she had stayed conscious enough to see. Teela's gaze appeared to be ready for the fight, when she was really focusing on her thoughts.

Yuu struck the goddess, but it seemed to show no pain. Yuu tried to stab at it, but it dodged. It was strange how limp its arms were, yet it dodged the blows easily. Yuu kept stabbing with his swords, but no hit. Finally Yuu took one of his swords and tried to slice the copy's face. Just as it was about to hit, the copy blocked. Yuu was stunned. The armor on the copy's arms stopped the blow. The arm then changed to that of a sword much like Yuu's. Yuu gasped, and the copy threw his sword back. Yuu threw blows with his swords, but the copy dodged and blocked. Just as Yuu was about to throw a strike, he felt something on his shoulder. He looked and saw the copy's sword resting right near his throat just waiting to cut it apart. Yuu gasped, and stared at the copy with wide eyes. He was panting, but the fear made him breathe harder.

"That's it," yelled Gareas shooting at the copy. The copy's head turned slowly toward Gareas. It then withdrew its sword, and its other hand changed into a shield. It flew around in loops with the shield in front of it to protect it from the shots. Gareas was firing, but tried not to waste it. Gareas's shots were getting farther and farther from target. The copy was fast, very fast.

Erts watched carefully, studying his opponents moves. He remembered when he had linked his mind to that pilot. He remembered the thoughts. He hadn't gone very deep into the pilot's mind before he was struck. Somehow, Erts saw the pilot from a different angle than the other goddess pilots. He saw life, a human life.

After dodging many attacks from both Gareas and Yuu, the copy struck back. It flew from Gareas's line of fire so suddenly, Gareas couldn't stop it when it flew right to Yuu. It knocked Yuu with the flat end of its sword, knocking him unconscious. Gareas jerked around and started firing at the copy with rage. He knew Yuu hadn't been hurt badly, but he wouldn't let that copy get away with it. The copy dodged shots while getting closer to him. Finally, the copy jerked during a dodge causing the shield to move up. Gareas shot the body that had been revealed in that one moment. An explosion rocked the fake goddess, and its leg had a burnt mark where it had been hit. It had been hit near the thigh, and it stopped. It hung lifelessly in the air. Gareas put his guns down and watched it. With lightning speed, the goddess flew up right in Gareas's face. Gareas was soon staring down the goddess's cold, hard, inhuman expression. It then rammed into Gareas's stomach with the shield. Gareas's spit flew out of his mouth, before he fell to his knees clutching his stomach. He wasn't unconscious, but he was in pain that kept him from getting up.

"Gar, are you ok?" Leena called over the intercom.

"I'm fine," Gareas answered without lifting his head. "But I can't move. My gut hurts too much."

"Stay down, I don't think it's going to hit you again," Leena commanded. "It didn't hit Yuu any harder. I think it just wanted to knock him out."

"It's toying with us," said Gareas wrapping his arms around his body. "It tried to kill us last time, but this time it doesn't want to. It's either toying with us, or it changed its mind."

"I'm ready," said Rioroute.

"Stand your ground," commanded Teela. "Your goddess wasn't made to attack."

Rioroute held back reluctantly. He let out a growl, but respected Teela's authority. Erts held his body in no pose. He was simply standing, not expecting an attack. He simply stared at the goddess's deceiving nature. It seemed so limp one moment, then flew right in your face to attack you in an instant. He knew it could attack at any moment despite its pose, but he didn't even hold his arm up.

Teela put her arms down. Her pose relaxed, and she simply stood there like Erts had done. She put down her fists, and stood waiting. Rioroute watched at his teammates' actions. He was so confused. "How could they let their guard down against this enemy? They know what it can do, yet they do not even defend themselves," Rioroute thought. "Could it be that they know it won't hurt them, but that's impossible."

"It won't," said Erts after reading Rioroute's thoughts. "It hasn't shed blood in this battle. I think something has changed."

Rioroute blinked at Erts's words before letting his guard down as well. He looked toward the two goddesses wondering what they could be thinking. He didn't know what was going on, but he had to trust them. They had lasted longer in the last battle. He could only hope that they knew more about what was going on.

"Pilot!" Teela called out. "Can you hear me?"

She was responded by silence. The goddess stirred though. It put its weapons away, by simply raising its arms then lowering them again. The weapons changed to hands in those two motions. Teela waited for its response. The goddess lifted up its head to look at her. It stared at Teela for a while, before nodding its head.

"Can you understand me?" Teela called out.

The goddess simply stared out at her. Rioroute humphed silently. "What're they thinking?" he thought. "That THING probably can't even talk. Why are they attempting to communicate? Could it be that there's a human in there?"

Erts closed his eyes, and focus his mind on the copy's pilot. He closed his eyes, and let his head reel back.

"Who are you?" a voice called out.

Erts looked around and saw that he had managed to link to the pilot's mind. He could hear the thoughts, the feelings. He was still in his cockpit, but he could hear the pilot. Erts closed his eyes again, and tried to talk back.

"I am Erts Virny Cocteau, a goddess pilot," he answered.

"You are here, in here, why? Why are you here? Where is here?"

"I am a telepath," Erts answered back.

"Listen to me!" Teela yelled causing Erts to break his link. "I need to know, are you human?"

"Hu-man," a voice called out over the comlink.

"Yes, human," said Teela coming closer with her goddess to the copy. Teela offered her hand out to it. "You are human, aren't you?"

"I. . .am. . ." said the copy. Its arm lifted up and just as one finger was about to touch Teela's the entire body of the copy jerked. It clutched its head and reeled back and forth. Teela retracted her hand, but continued calling out to it.

"Human?" Teela called out. The jerkings only got worse. The goddess clutched its head and seemed to fight something from inside its head.

Erts closed his eyes, and concentrated on the link again. He knew that it was being attacked through its mind, and he had to find out why. Soon Erts was in the pilot's mind, and he could hear the thoughts.

++++++++++++++

Pain, all around. This thing in my head, its trying to get in. I can't let it in. Why is it trying to come in? What? The lights flash, and I see the screen. I try to fight it, and it sees that. I didn't fight it the last time. Now that I am, it seems to try harder. It notices that my actions are different, and it will do anything to get me back.

It had me before. Before we were together. Now it wants me to do something that I don't want to do. I try to fight it, but it fights back. I can't fight it anymore. I have to get help.

"Lady Gwenevere!" I call out. She's the only one that can help me. She's the only one who knows. "Help," I can't call out any weaker.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Erts gasped. The pilot was talking to someone, or something within the goddess. Only it wasn't talking to it, it was yelling out in thoughts.

++++++++++++++++


"What's going on?" I yell out. She has to know, she always does.

"They want you back," she answers me. "You have defied them."

"You can stop this," I answer back. I know she can. She lets everything into and out of me, she can stop it from getting into my head.

"I cannot."

"What do you mean?!" She can't do this. She knows she can but yet she doesn't.

"It has taken me as well, and I have to do this."

"Don't let it take me!" How can she just let me go? She protects me, she wouldn't do this. It's not like her. How can she abandon me?

"It is best."

"Why?"

"You do not want that. I know that you want to know these humans. It is best that this should get into you. You do not want to go there."

"Please!" I beg. She does not understand. I am human, she knows that. I have to know who I am, she knows that. I must learn, she knows that.

"I know what is best for you."

"Just let me go." I am running out of energy. I cannot say anything any louder. It only comes out in a whisper. I must get the message to her. I can't fight and go on with her much longer.

She stops. She pauses. She thinks. She then finally answers me. "As you wish, but I must do something."

Suddenly something surges into my head. I can't fight it, it just rushed in so suddenly for me to oppose. It goes into my head, it leaks into my brain. I can feel it oozing over my thoughts and memories. It seeps into the cracks in my brain's surface.

Just then my mind is spinning. Everything isn't making sense. All the things I was doing, escapes me. I can't remember what I was thinking. My mind is a blank. I can't recall anything. The world is spinning. What is the world? "A virus, Lady Gwenevere?"

"It must be done," she answers before my world goes blank. My body relaxes, and I feel at ease. Everything seems so new, yet vaguely familiar. I feel as if some of my troubles have been erased, for I cannot recall them. I feel relieved, and let the blackness take me.

++++++++++++++

Erts had to snap his mind back to reality. He was almost plunged into the vortex in the pilot's mind. Something had entered the pilot's mind and tampered with it. It was messing around, and taking events and moments. Erts had to pull away before he got caught in it. He snapped back to see that the entire body of the goddess had gone limp, and really limp. It's head and body was leaning backwards. Whatever held it to its feet was gone. It was like the pilot had lost consciousness.

Teela flew in first to see. She waved her hand over it, then gave the head a single tap. She then backed away. "The pilot has lost consciousness," she told the remaining pilots. "Bring it in for examination," she said in her cold way before flying off.

"What?" he yelled out. "But, Number 1!" he called out but Teela kept flying. Rioroute then turned to see Erts putting the arm of the goddess on his shoulders. Erts looked up at him, and gave him a nod through his goddess. Erts then carried the goddess back. As he was, he looked down at the goddess. "Who are you?" he asked in his mind. "What're you doing out here?"

The goddess approached the station floating in space. They were now going to conduct research on the mysterious goddess, and its pilot.